Improved defensive armor for ships and other batteries



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

TVITATAM TV. YV. -WOOD, OF PHLADELPHTA, PENNSYLVANIA.

HVIPROVED DEFENSIVE ARMOR FOR SHIPS AND OTHER BATTERIES.

Specilication l'orming part of Leiters Patent No. 36.546, dated September Q3, 1862.

To @ZZ whom it may concern.'

Be it known that l, fuman W. TV. iT/Toon, chief engineer United States Navy, and now residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented an Improved Armor tor Tar-Vessels and Foititications; and I do hereby declare the following to be a i'ull, clear, and exact description ol" the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

My improved armor consists of a series of inner plates anda series of outer plates, the former being secured to the vessel by bolt-s whose heads are covered by the outer plates, each plate of one series having a rib fitting between ribs on one ot' the plates ot the other series, the two series ot plates being secured to each other by pins passing through the said ribs, the several plates and'ribs being so constructed that there shall be at intervals between the two series of plates longitudinal spaces for the reception ot' strps of wood or other equivalent material, and the whole being arranged,substantially as set forth hereinalter, so as to form asubstantial and economical armor the surface ol which presents a solid unbroken mass of malleable iron free from the usual bolt or screw holes, and so that a shot which may penetrate the outer series of plates may be detlected, and its torce consequently absorbed, before it can take injurious eti'ect on the vessel,.as fully explained hereinafter.

ln order to enable sliilled artisans to make my invention, Twill now proceed to explain the manner in which it is carried into effect.

(in reference to the accompanying Drawing No. l, Figure l is a perspective view ot' my improved iron armor for war-vessels, Tort-ifications, tc.; Fig. 2, a face view; Fig. 3, a vertical section; Fig. 4, also a vertical section of a portion of the armor, and Fig. 5 au inside view of one of the ribbed plates. Drawing llo. 2 represents a full-sized sectional view ot' my improved armor.

Similarletters refer to si milar parts th roughout the several views.

A represents a portion of the wooden hull of the vessel, to which my improved armor is secured, and this armor consists of a series ot' inner ribbed plates, l-l, and outer ribbed plates, D. Each inner plate consists of a rolled bar of malleable iron, the form of which, viewed transversely, will he best observed on reference to Drawing No. 2 and Figs. 3 and 4t of Drawing No. l, two longitudinal ribs, (t and a', projecting from and extending throughout the entire length of each bar B. The two outer plates,D,also consist ot'rolled bars otmalleable iron, each bar having a longitudinal rib, (l, which is arranged to lit snugly between the ribs c and a. ot' one ot' the inner platos,l3, the two plates being irmly connected together by a series ot' slightly-tapering pins, c, driven through the ribs c and a of the plate B and through the rib d of the plate D, so that when thus seemed the two plates will bear the position relative to each other represented byFie. 3, the outer edge of the ribs a and c bearing against the inside of the body of the plate D and the outer edge ofthe rib d bearing against the body ot the plate D between the two ribs a and a.

The inner plates, B, are secured to the hull A ofthe vessel in the manner shown in Fig. 4, bolts E, situated at a suitable distance apart from each other, passing through the body of each plate at a point between its two ribs a and a', as well as through the side of the vessel, the plate being eountersunk for the reception ot' the headjot' the bolt, and the rib d of the plate D being cut away, as seen in Fig. 5, so that under no circumstances can the rib come in contact with the head f. Each bolt is furnished on the inside ol" the vessel with suitable nuts.

Il desirable, heavy wood-screws may be substituted for the bolts E, the heads ofthe screws being slotted or otherwise so constructed that a box-wrench or other suitableinstrument may be applied to the heads for turning the screws, and thereby securing t-he plates to the vessels.

Although the proportions of the inner and outer plates may be varied as the experience and judgment ot' the constructor may suggest, I consider the proportions illustrated by the full-sized sectional view (Drawing llo. 2) as appropriate for heavy armor.

In securing the armor to the sides of the vessel the lowest inner plate, B, is first bolted or screwed to the timbers. Then one of the outer plates, D, is applied to the inner plate, the rib u'. ofthe l'ormer titting between the ribs c and a ot' the latter, alter which the taper-pins c are driven tightly through the ribs ol.' both plates. A strip,G, ofoak or other tough wood,

is then driven tightly between the portion b of the inner plate and the body of the outer plate, the bottom of the strip resting on the top of the rib a of the inner plate. A second inner plate is now secured to the sides of the vessel, the portion b of the said plate resting on the portion of the first inner plate, and the rib a of the second inner plate resting on the upper edge of the wooden strip G. A seeond outer plate, D, is now added, its rib d litting between the ribs a and a of the second inner plate and its lower edge resting on the upper edge of the lower outer plate. A third inner plate and third outer plate, with a second packing of wood, are added, and this is continued until the desired extent of surface is covered with the armor. Vhen viewed vertically, the armor thus constructed may be said to consist of three layers intimately united, the layers beingl defined by the dotted lines 1, 2, 3, and 4, Fig. 3. 'lhe iirst layer, bounded by the lines l 2, represents a continuous covering of malleable iron one inch thick in contact with the hull of the vessel, the outer layer,betwcen the lines 3 and 4, representing a continuous covering of malleable iron three inches thick, and the intermediate layer, between the lines 2 and 3, being four inches in thickness and consisting of alternate longitudinal strips of wood and solid ribs of malleable iron for the ribs a and a of the inner plates, and the ribs d of the outer plates,being intimately connected,may be considered as one solid rib six and one-half inches in depth, the depth of the wood being five and one half inches. When viewed transversely, therefore, the armor presents between the horizontal dotted lines 5 and 6 a solid mass of malleable iron eight inches in thickncss,and between the lines 6 and 7 the armor consists of a mass of malleable ironthreeinches thick,wood four inches thick, and an iron plate one inch in thickness.

Having now described the manner of constructing my improved armor, I will proceed to explain the advantages which must result from its adoption as a means of protecting warvessels and fortifications from the effect of projcctiles.

One of the main difficulties experienced in the use of iron armor as hitherto applied to vessels has been the necessity of piercing the plates for the reception of bolts or screws. Every bolt-hole presents a nucleus for fracture from the action of projectiles, and detracts seriously from the solidity and power of resistance ofthe armor. It will be observed that my improved armor is entirely free from this objection, asthe outer plates present a solid unmntilated mass of malleable iron for resisting the eii'ects of projectiles.

In iron armor as heretofore applied to vessels the heads of the bolts or screws are neeessarily exposed to the impact of the projectiles, the certain result of which must be the loosening of the bolts and screws and dislodgment of the plates. In no case can a projectile have this detrimental effect on the bolts or screws by which the plates of my improved arrnor are secured to the vessel, as the heads of the bolts are entirely protected from such injurious impact.

As regardseconomy in construction, my improved armor presents many advantages.

In the first place, both inner and outer bars are ready for application after they have left the rolls and after the pin and bolt holes have been drilled or otherwise formed, the expensive and tedious planing and fitting resorted to in applying the plates of ordinary armor being unnecessary. Moreover, both inner and outer plates are more readily bent to conform to the shape of the vessel than the usual extensive and massive plates.

As regards the weight of material used, my improved armor is light in proportion to its strength and capability of resisting the action of projectiles, as will be readily understood by referring to the view Fig. 3, and considering the eeet of an eight-inch shot striking the armor at different points. Should ashot, for instance, taking a course atright angles to the armor, strike the latter at the point x,

its impact will be resisted by a mass ot' Inalleable iron eight inches thick. Should a shot strike the armor at a point between the lines 6 and 7, Fig. 3--say at the point y-it must iirst penetrate through the three inch outer plate, D, before it reaches the wooden packing G. Its further progress will then be partially arrested by the rib a of the plate B, and as the wood presents less resistance than the iron rib the shot must be deliected and its course changed from a direct line to the angular line 8, following which course it is resisted by the lower plate -B and its ribs, and the force of the shot is consequently absorbed before it can take serions effect on the hull of the vessel.

It is well known that a comparatively small rigid object or any slight inequality in the density or amount of resistance of an object struck by a projectile will cause the latter to deviate from its direct course, and this must be the case when a shot strikes my improved armor at points between the dotted lines 6 and 7, or even at points beyond these lines, inasmuch as the wood` packing presents the least resistance and induces the shot to deviate in a direction where it is certain to meet with a greater mass of resisting metal than if it took a direct course. It will be seen, therefore, that causing the shot to deviate after it passes through the outer plating is equivalent to adding an additional thickness to the armor.

In some cases I propose` to form a lip on the lower edge ot' each plate D, as shown by dotted lines at m, Drawing No. 2, the said lip tting into a recess formed in the upper edge of thel adjacent plate D. In some instances, also, I forma longitudinal recess a quarter of an inch,

or thereabout, deep on each side of the rib d of each outer plate, D, these recesses being arranged for the reception of the ribs a and a of each inner plate, E, es best observed on refA erenee to the dotted lines n n, Drawing No. 2.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent- The armor composed ofthe series ol' inner plates, B, and outer plates, D, the former being secured to the vessel by bolts whose heads are covered by the outer plates, each plate of one series having a rib fitting between ribs on one ofthe plates of the other series of plates, the two series of plates being secured to each other by pins e, passing through the said ribs, the plates and ribs being so constructed that there shell be at intervals between the inner and outer plates nseries oli' longitudinal spaces for the introduction of strips of wood or other equivalent materiel, and the whole being arranged substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

In testimony whereofl have signed my naine to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

XVM. XV. NV. VOOD.

Vitnesses:

HENRY I-owsoN, JOHN WHITE. 

